Kazuki Sekiguchi
Born in Tokyo. Freelance animation filmmaker.
The short animation Self-Honest Me (2017) won the Japan Grand Prix at the 4th New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival. Since then, alongside independent films, Sekiguchi has created animation for a wide range of media, including children’s TV programs and web commercials.
Driven by a wish to turn unpleasant memories and lingering feelings into laughter rather than leaving them as they are, Sekiguchi tells stories rooted in personal memories through friendly, round characters such as cats and rabbits. Works mainly in digital animation with TVPaint, while also exploring a return to analog techniques.
Graduated from the Media Art Course, Department of Information Design, Tama Art University. Completed the Master’s program in Animation at the Graduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts. Member of the Japan Animation Association.
In 2025, selected as an open-call artist for the first cohort of “New Way, New World: Program for Connecting Japanese Animators to the World,” and featured in “Motion Graphic Creators 100” (2025).
In 2026, selected for the Production Support Program for Creators in Japan under the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Project to Support Emerging Media Arts Creators, and featured in “Motion Graphic Creators 100” (2026).
Filmography
Reincarnation of the mousie (2014)
Awards and Nominations
24th DigiCon6 ASIA Awards, In Competition (Estrange / 2022)
18th Korea Independent Animation Film Festival, Nominated (Estrange / 2022)
Kichijoji Animation Film Festival, Grand Prix, General Category (Estrange / 2022)
TAFF2022, Nominated (Estrange / 2022)
8th New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival, Hokkaido Coca-Cola Award (Estrange / 2021)
KingstOOn Animation Festival 2021, Nominated (The Body Swap Center / 2019)
ASIAGRAPH 2019 In Tokyo, Selected (The Body Swap Center / 2019)
15th Korea Independent Animation Film Festival, Audience Award (The Body Swap Center / 2019)
Montreal International Animation Film Festival – ANIMAZE, Finalist (The Body Swap Center / 2019)
Montreal International Animation Film Festival – ANIMAZE, Nominated (The Body Swap Center / 2018)
14th Kichijoji Animation Film Festival, Special Jury Award (The Body Swap Center / 2018)
23rd Student CG Contest, Entertainment Category, Excellence Award (The Body Swap Center / 2018)
5th New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival, Nominated (The Body Swap Center / 2017)
4th New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival, Japan Grand Prix (Self-Honest Me / 2017)
22nd Student CG Contest, Art Category, Excellence Award (The Life of Miyo / 2015)
Athens Animation Festival, Nominated (Joy of Spring / 2014)
10th Kichijoji Animation Film Festival, Nominated (FACE / 2014)
The GIFs – GIFMAGAZINE Contest, Excellence Award and GIFMAGAZINE Award (MOMOTARO / 2014)
Saga University Content Design Contest, Selected (2014)
16th DigiCon6 ASIA Awards, Passed First Round
Commissioned Work
NHK ETV “Haniwa na Dance”: storyboard, original costume design, animation (2026)
“Livly Island” TikTok short animations (2026)
Shinapushu “Cat Rocket” (2025)
“Okaneko” TV commercial: animation (2023)
YAMAHA MUSIC SCHOOL “Let’s! Kune Kune Taiso” (2022)
Shimajiro no Wow! “Ayumodoki no Uta”: animation, backgrounds (2022)
Shinapushu “Kimi no Tomodachi”: storyboard, animation, backgrounds (2022)
Vaultroom × APEX Legends: animation, backgrounds (2022)
NHK ETV “Aokiiro” Anime Clutch: storyboard, animation (2022)
Vaultroom animation for social media: layout, backgrounds, animation (2021)
SONY PARK – ONE DAY, 2050 / Sci-Fi Prototyping: character animator (2021)
NHK ETV Miitsuketa! “WaWaWa Hajimete no Uso”: storyboard, layout, character design, animation (2021)
Shimajiro no Wow! “Mukanshin-Man”: character design, animation (2021)
CARMO car subscription service: corporate character design (2020)
FamilyMart Shanghai web commercials: animator (2019)
TV anime “Pop Team Epic”, Pop Team Cooking corner: corner director (2018, 2019, 2022)
“HandMade In Japan Fes 2016” promotional video, animation part: animator (2016)
ROUND1 “Shuttle Bus: Tama” TV commercial: animation, backgrounds (2015)
and more
Exhibitions and Screenings
Hiroshima Animation Season 2026 (screening and talk / Self-Honest Me)
Hito-Sato Film Festival (screening / Estrange / 2026)
Hamamatsu Film Festival / Hamamatsu Anime Festa 2022 (screening / Estrange)
Hiroshima Animation Season 2022 (screening / Estrange)
Ulsan International Film Festival (screening / The Body Swap Center / 2021)
Korea Animation in Bloom 2020 + Asia | Korea Independent Animation Film Festival (screening / The Body Swap Center / 2020)
Linoleum International Festival of Contemporary Animation and Media Art (screening / The Body Swap Center / 2020)
Strange Love Time-based Media Festival (screening / The Body Swap Center / 2020)
GLAS Animation Festival 2019 | The Best Contemporary Japanese Independent Animated Shorts (screening / Self-Honest Me / 2019)
Japan Film Festival of San Francisco (screening / Self-Honest Me / 2019)
Toshima Art Festival, Animation Travel! (screening / Self-Honest Me / 2019)
Taiwan AniCup (screening / Self-Honest Me / 2018, 2019)
NIPPON CONNECTION (screening / 2017)
Tama Art University, Media Art Course Graduation Exhibition “Sokokashiko” (screening / 2016)
TOKYO ART FLOW | Tama Art University Collection (screening / 2016)
GEORAMA2016 (screening / 2016)
3 Seconds Animations (screening / 2016)
Hibi no Animation (screening / 2015)
4th ANIME SAKKA ZAKKA (exhibition, sales and screening / 2015)
Sél_2: Tama Art University Media Art 2015 (screening / 2015)
WHITE VANS PROJECT (exhibition / 2013)